RN's in the ED

ChristineN, BSN, RN · May 12, 2014

Of course. All ER's staff RN's, including Level 1 trauma centers. Many bigger hospitals are beginning to prefer applicants with BSN's, but there are still hospitals where you can get hired with a 2 year RN degree

As for what they can do, they triage pts, perform assessments, administer medications, place iv's, place foleys, place ng tubes, provide pt education, transport pt to tests, assist in codes, and more.

danielletardio · May 12, 2014

Of course. All ER's staff RN's, including Level 1 trauma centers. Many bigger hospitals are beginning to prefer applicants with BSN's, but there are still hospitals where you can get hired with a 2 year RN degree
As for what they can do, they triage pts, perform assessments, administer medications, place iv's, place foleys, place ng tubes, provide pt education, transport pt to tests, assist in codes, and more.

do the hospitals that hire RN's tend to like tem with emergency medicine experience for example a certified EMT? and do they help newly hired nurses to take the CEN exam?

ChristineN, BSN, RN · May 12, 2014

do the hospitals that hire RN's tend to like tem with emergency medicine experience for example a certified EMT? and do they help newly hired nurses to take the CEN exam?

Having EMT or paramedic certification can help. Newly hired nurses can not take the CEN, as you need to have 1-2 years experience. My hospital does encourage you to take it, offers review classes, etc but it is not something the CEN company allows new grads to take

Guests · May 13, 2014

Distinguishing between an EMT-B and an EMT-P, the former provides little benefit in preparing to work as an ED nurse; the latter is huge.

Susie2310 · May 13, 2014

Having EMT or paramedic certification can help. Newly hired nurses can not take the CEN, as you need to have 1-2 years experience. My hospital does encourage you to take it, offers review classes, etc but it is not something the CEN company allows new grads to take

Two years emergency room experience is recommended but not required.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · May 13, 2014

Two years emergency room experience is recommended but not required.

I thought they require so many hrs of bedside nursing before you can take it? I will have to read it again now

Guests · May 13, 2014

[h=1]CEN® Eligibility FAQ[/h]
Click on a question below to view the answer.
[h=3]Who is eligible to sit for the CEN exam?[/h] To qualify for the exam, you must hold a current unrestricted Registered Nurse license in the United States or its Territories. A nursing certificate that is equivalent to a Registered Nurse in the United States is also acceptable.
[h=3]How many years of experience do I need as an emergency nurse to sit for the exam?[/h] BCEN recommends you have 2 years’ experience in the ED; however, it is not required.

In other words, ridiculous though it would appear, new grads can sit for the CEN...

zmansc, ASN, RN · May 14, 2014

Requirements for being hired into an ER is facility dependent. I was hired straight out of nursing school as a brand new RN. I've never worked on a med-surg floor, and probably never will as a RN. There are many on here who think it's somewhere between bad and terrible to hire a new grad into an ER or a specialty unit. I don't see it as an issue personally. Some facilities have training programs that are extensive for new grads hired into their ERs, I've seen people talk about them lasting 6 mo. Our program was strictly a mentoring program that lasted 16 wks if you needed that long.

I obviously do not believe it is bad to hire individuals straight into the ER or other specialties, but I think the team that is in the ER needs to have a balance of experienced individuals with the new grads, or new to ER so that the experience people can share their knowledge and provide their insight to those of us who have less experience to draw upon.

Guest 360983 · May 14, 2014

I think you need to shadow some nurses and midlevels in the ER. Even at the busy trauma hospitals, trauma is VERY far from the majority of patients. I've heard the busiest trauma ER in the country is 20% trauma--more on weekend nights, less on Wednesday at 8 am. I miss my trauma experience but I'll tell you the sickest ones were out of the department and into the OR so fast your head would spin. You'll spend far more time with septic nursing home patients and drunks who choose the hospital vs jail when asked by the cops.

You should also ride on an ambulance. If you see yourself as a trauma junkie, it might be an option for you. Plenty of people use 911 as a cab, but paramedics really do see it all.

Don't get me wrong. I love being an ER nurse and wouldn't be a doctor or an NP or work on a different floor for anything, but my job is way less sexy than it looks on TV.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · May 15, 2014

Distinguishing between an EMT-B and an EMT-P the former provides little benefit in preparing to work as an ED nurse; the latter is huge.[/quote']
Not intending to hijack but..... The basis of good als is good bls. fundamental assessment skills are the foundation of ems at the basic level. Even a "simple" emt-basic has a jump on assessing the pt, which is what it's really all about.

MattyIrie · May 24, 2014

Distinguishing between an EMT-B and an EMT-P the former provides little benefit in preparing to work as an ED nurse; the latter is huge.[/quote']
I couldn't disagree more with this statement. Having been a basic for a few years prior to starting nursing school and now working in a level 1 ED, becoming proficient in managing an airway using BLS level skill sets is one of the most important things any provider from basic to MD can have. Skills not focused in nursing school..too busy with care plans and nursing "diagnoses". Most of the paramedic skills taught are lost in the ED. For the kind of autonomy you are looking for your best bet is any of the following:
Paramedic with a 911 service, ACNP in the ICU outside of an academic hospital, RN/Medic doing scene flights. Outside of those areas your chance at anything autonomous would be rare at best. EMT training is the single most beneficial thing I did for myself as a practitioner to date.